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SACRAMENTO – Over the objections of Orange County and two branches of the U.S. military, the State Historical Resources Commission on Friday nominated seven San Onofre surfing beaches for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

The obscure commission, whose members are appointed by the governor to preserve California's "cultural heritage," ruled that the 2.25 miles of beaches collectively known as the Trestles represent a unique and significant site in the annals of American surfing history. It is now up to the federal government to make a final ruling on the historic designation, which, if approved, would mark the first time a surf spot has landed on the national register.

The nomination, initiated by the San Clemente-based Surfrider Foundation, is stubbornly opposed by the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, which say a listing on the register will bring additional oversight that could interfere with the staging of military training exercises. The seven beaches – Uppers, Lowers, Middles, Church, The Point, Old Man's and Dog Patch – are part of San Onofre State Beach, which occupies a portion of the Camp Pendleton Marine base that the Navy leases to the state.

Orange County officials share the military's concerns and say Trestles is a no more significant a surf spot than Huntington Beach, Corona del Mar or Malibu. Some also worry that the historic designation would eliminate any possibility of someday extending the Foothill (241) Toll Road to the I-5. The Surfrider Foundation has been among the most vocal opponents of the extension.

On Tuesday, Orange County state Sens. Mimi Walters, R-Irvine, and Mark Wyland, R-Oceanside, put out a news release accusing former State Historic Preservation Officer M. Wayne Donaldson of "using state resources to manipulate the application of a federal historic designation" to further a personal campaign against the toll road extension. Donaldson, recently retired, testified in favor of the historic designation on Friday, saying, "This is a unique site in California, a unique start to the surf culture that went worldwide."

At the hearing, supporters also showed a video of Clint Eastwood reminiscing about Trestles and mentioned that they've received letters of support from two original members of the Beach Boys.

Speaking in opposition, Walters' aide Garth Eisenbeis cited a Dec. 20, 2012, news release on Surfline.com that referred to Friday's hearing and said, "The Surfrider Foundation is once more asking for your help in continuing to prevent the unwanted impact on Trestles and San Onofre by the construction of the South Foothill-South Toll Road and interchange at the northern boundary of Camp Pendleton.

"The senator feels very strongly that it's necessary to allow the continued project to go forward and not to use the process of historic designation to block projects that are necessary," Eisenbeis said.

After the hearing, Surfrider's coastal preservation manager, Mark Rauscher, denied that the toll road had anything to do with the proposed historic designation.

"As far as I'm concerned, the toll road is already dead," he said. "The (California) Coastal Commission and the (U.S.) secretary of Commerce both denied it. This designation grew out of that effort, because in all of our work to stop the toll road we realized what value we had and so we went ahead and we worked to further preserve the area."

Commissioners also were unmoved by Marine Col. Eugene Apicella's testimony that a historic designation could hinder the military's ability to stage trainings for amphibious landings.

"The Marine Corps now has to consult with an outside body about whether or not our exercise is going to happen at the right time for everyone involved, at the right location for everyone involved, and unfortunately in the Marine Corps we don't have the ability to predict ... when we have to conduct operations," he said.

State Historian Amy Crain wrote in her staff report that the state has received 1,233 letters supporting the nomination, and 111 letters opposed. She noted: "The Orange County Board of Supervisors submitted their [sic] letter five times; it has been counted once. The nominated district is entirely within San Diego County."

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